Patterns of cytokine release and association with new onset of post-cardiac surgery atrial fibrillation

IntroductionPostoperative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication of cardiac surgery, associated with increased mortality, stroke risk, cardiac failure and prolonged hospital stay. Our study aimed to assess the patterns of release of systemic cytokines in patients with and without POAF.MethodsA post-hoc analysis of the Remote Ischemic Preconditioning (RIPC) trial, including 121 patients (93 males and 28 females, mean age of 68 years old) who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and aortic valve replacement (AVR). Mixed-effect models were used to analyze patterns of release of cytokines in POAF and non-AF patients. A logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of peak cytokine concentration (6 h after the aortic cross-clamp release) alongside other clinical predictors on the development of POAF.ResultsWe found no significant difference in the patterns of release of IL-6 (p = 0.52), IL-10 (p = 0.39), IL-8 (p = 0.20) and TNF-α (p = 0.55) between POAF and non-AF patients. Also, we found no significant predictive value in peak concentrations of IL-6 (p = 0.2), IL-8 (p = >0.9), IL-10 (p = >0.9) and Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α)(p = 0.6), however age and aortic cross-clamp time were significant predictors of POAF development across all models.ConclusionsOur study suggests no significant association exists between cytokine release patterns and the development of POAF. Age and Aortic Cross-clamp time were found to be significant predictors of POAF

Deciphering growth abilities of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi under variable temperature, pH and nitrogen

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi (Fop) is an important disease and major obstacle to pea production, causing huge losses to growers. The focus of this study was on isolation followed by morphological, molecular characterization and analyzing the growth of the casual agent under variable temperature, pH and Nitrogen levels. The morphological features of radial growth, sporulation, pigmentation and mycelial characterization were examined and the variability of all isolates was presented. Molecular characterization of the fungus by ITS rDNA sequencing revealed that all 13 isolates belong to Fusarium oxysporum species. Six isolates were tested for temperature, pH and nitrogen dosage optimization studies. Seven different temperatures, viz., 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33°C and pH values, having 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 pH, as well as nitrogen dosage levels of 0 g, 3 g, 5 g, 7 g, 9 g, 11 g, and 13 g were tested against all six isolates, respectively. The results showed that all isolates exhibited the highest growth at a temperature of 25°C and the optimal temperature range for growth of Fusarium oxysporum was 23–27°C. All isolates showed the highest growth at pH5. Change in the nitrogen doses of the base ended in formation of thick, dense, fluffy mycelium of the casual agent. Six isolates were used for combination studies with seven different levels of temperatures, pH levels and nitrogen dosages. The density plots revealed the variations in the growth of the isolates with changes in temperature, pH and nitrogen levels, which can lead to mutations or genetic changes in the pathogens that could potentially introduce new threats to pea cultivation

Pyogenic granuloma underlying cutaneous horn in a young boy

Cutaneous horn is an elongated, keratinous projection that usually occurs over the sun-exposed areas. It is a clinical diagnosis and may overlie any benign, premalignant, or malignant conditions. Treatment includes wide surgical excision with careful histological examination to exclude a focus of malignancy. An unusual case of a pyogenic granuloma presenting as cutaneous horn on the lower lip in an 11-year-old boy is presented here

Clinical profile of androgenic alopecia and its association with cardiovascular risk factors

Context: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is a hereditary androgen-dependent disorder, characterized by gradual conversion of terminal hair into miniaturized hair and defined by various patterns. Common age group affected is between 30 and 50 years. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that include diabetes and prediabetes, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. The relationship between androgenic alopecia and MetS is still poorly understood. Aim: The aim was to study the clinical profile of androgenic alopecia and its association with cardiovascular risk factors. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study done on men in the age group of 25–40 years. Fifty clinically diagnosed cases with early-onset androgenic alopecia of Norwood Grade III or above and fifty controls without androgenic alopecia were included in the study. Data collected included anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, family history of androgenic alopecia, history of alcohol, smoking; fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile were done. MetS was diagnosed as per the new International Diabetes Federation criteria. Chi-square and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: MetS was seen in 5 (10%) cases and 1 (2%) control (P =0.092). Abdominal obesity, hypertension, and lowered high-density lipoprotein were significantly higher in patients with androgenic alopecia when compared to that of the controls. Conclusion: A higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was seen in men with early-onset androgenic alopecia. Early screening for MetS and its components may be beneficial in patients with early-onset androgenic alopecia

Turismo de vida silvestre: una síntesis de la agenda de investigación pasada, presente y futuro

Wildlife tourism (WT) is an emerging sector of tourism, majorly meant to view and/or encounter wildlife in the wild, captive, and semi-captive settings. Because of the new emerging economies, there is an increased demand for wildlife destinations in both, developing and developed nations. However, a comprehensive study is lacking in WT. In this context, the present study seeks to bring together and discuss the key findings on WT from the present literature and propose new approaches to research using co-citation, co-authorship, and co-occurrence analyses. Further, the study also considers research on WT conducted so far like attitudes, bird-watching, conservation, economics, hunting, mammals, management, marine monitoring, negative impacts, positive impacts, captive wildlife, and guidelines. A data set is created that includes authors, article titles, citations, countries, co-authorship, institutions, publication years and sources, keywords, and abstracts by collecting the bibliographies from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) indexed journals with keywords search “Wild Life, Jungle and Tourism.” The study collected 1,519 and used 1,259 published articles from 1990 to 2020, and analyzed employing VOS viewer software, which has enabled us to understand the relationship and structure of the literatureEl turismo de vida silvestre (WT) es un sector emergente del turismo, destinado principalmente a ver y / o encontrar vida silvestre en entornos silvestres, cautivos y semi-cautivos. Debido a las nuevas economías emergentes, existe una mayor demanda de destinos de vida silvestre tanto en países desarrollados como en desarrollo. Sin embargo, falta un estudio completo en WT. En este contexto, el presente estudio busca reunir y discutir los hallazgos clave sobre WT de la literatura actual y proponer nuevos enfoques de investigación utilizando análisis de co-cita, coautoría y co-ocurrencia. Además, el estudio también considera la investigación sobre WT realizada hasta ahora como actitudes, observación de aves, conservación, economía, caza, mamíferos, manejo, monitoreo marino, impactos negativos, impactos positivos, vida silvestre cautiva y pautas. Se crea un conjunto de datos que incluye a los autores, títulos de artículos, citas, países, coautoría, instituciones, años de publicación y fuentes, palabras clave y resúmenes mediante la recopilación de bibliografías de revistas indexadas de Scopus y Web of Science (WoS) con la búsqueda de palabras clave "Wild Life, Jungle and Tourism". El estudio recopiló 1.519 y utilizó 1.259 artículos publicados entre 1990 y 2020, y analizó utilizando el software de visualización VOS, lo que nos ha permitido comprender la relación y la estructura de la literatur

Verrucous lymphangioma circumscriptum in a child

Lymphangioma circumscriptum (LC) is characterized by dilation of lymphatic vessels in the skin and subcutaneous tissue. It presents as asymptomatic vesicles filled with lymphatic fluid giving characteristic frog spawn appearance, but does not progress into warty plaque. LC can also be divided into congenital and acquired form. The common sites are axillary folds, shoulder, upper arm, scrotum, penis, rectum, and vulva. It needs to be differentiated from certain common conditions such as herpes zoster, molluscum contagiosum, hemangioma, verruca vulgaris, and angiokeratoma. Surgical modality is the first choice of treatment. A case of a 5-year-old girl having verrucous plaque on the right knee joint diagnosed as LC is presented here